A Choice Made Decades Ago Comes Back to Haunt a Town

After flooding in the 1970s, West Pittston, Pa., chose a view of the Susquehanna River rather than a levee. Recent flooding has raised the question again.Credit
Niko Kallianiotis for The New York Times

WEST PITTSTON, Pa. — On a flood-ravaged street on the west bank of the Susquehanna River, a pointed question is literally writ large now in white spray paint on the side of a building: “Levee or view?”

The question, posed by an anonymous provocateur, strikes at the heart of a sore subject in this once idyllic hamlet of about 5,000 residents, as it slushes through the mud and assesses the damage caused by record-breaking flooding over the past several days.

The Susquehanna, swollen by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, inundated West Pittston, swallowing some houses almost to their second floors, and giving parts of the town the appearance of a muck-coated moonscape. For many here, what is left of their former lives is debris piled high on the curb.

Levee or view?

This is not the first time this town has faced the issue. Almost 40 years ago, in the aftermath of another catastrophic flood, the same question was posed. But wary of the price of construction and protective of its picturesque vistas, West Pittston decided to go with the view. Meanwhile, most other cities along the Susquehanna built stronger, higher levees.

So when the Susquehanna rose to catastrophic flood levels again on Friday morning, West Pittston had no protection at all. And it is likely that this time the town faced even higher water traveling at greater speed precisely because of its neighbors’ enhanced levee systems, which forced the water into a narrower, more elevated channel.

Few realized what would be the ultimate price — until now. And a new generation of homeowners is left to come to terms with the result of a decision made before some of them were even born.

It stings.

“That was an entirely different generation,” said Ivy Berry, whose handsome, French colonial-style home was built almost 100 years ago less than a block from the river. “This new generation wants a levee!”

Ms. Berry, 38, a franchise restaurant owner, and her extended family spent the weekend hosing off what unbroken belongings they could salvage: china, silverware, a few wine glasses. The basement was still full of debris-laden water. A thick layer of mud made walking up the porch steps a hazard.

Standing there, Ms. Berry contemplated her unobstructed view: “The reason we bought a house on this street was because we could see the river. But that’s not important now.”

The toll the Susquehanna took when it roared through West Pittston began to draw gawkers over the weekend. One man stood on the river bank and said: “I don’t feel sorry for them at all. They made their choice.”

Photo

Residents of West Pittston, Pa., hope they get a chance to revisit the question of whether to build a levee on the Susquehanna.Credit
Niko Kallianiotis for The New York Times

But the residents of West Pittston are not looking for sympathy, just a dose of understanding. And they hope that when all the debris is cleared, they might have another shot at answering the now infamous local question.

The state seems to be on their side.

“Part of the aftermath of a storm like this is, we will go back and ask what we can do to mitigate damage like this in the future,” said Cory Angell, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

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A preliminary assessment of the larger levee system in the valley showed that the protections performed as designed last week, holding back water that reached almost 43 feet at its peak, according to a statement the Army Corps of Engineers issued on Friday.

If West Pittston and other towns want protections, the issue would have to be raised at the federal level — first, with Congress issuing an authorization for a feasibility study. Then, if the benefits sufficiently outweigh the costs, money might be authorized for construction.

The entire process would most likely include an investigation of many alternatives, including flood walls, warning systems and levees, among others, said Chris Augsburger, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers in the Baltimore District.

“There are many options that we evaluate when looking at what solutions best serve a community,” he said.

It seems likely that the issue will be debated.

“I find it hard to believe people wouldn’t want levee protection on a river,” said Aaron Hand, 31, whose family lost at least half their possessions in the flood. “I wish the people who said that they’d rather see a view of the river would see this destruction. I hope they — ”

Mr. Hand’s daughter, Kayla, 5, interrupted.

“Is our house going to be covered in mud forever?” she wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The Hands had prepared her for what they thought would be the worst: a flooded basement and a few lost toys. That is the way it had been on his block during the most extreme flood in anybody’s memory, the record-shattering inundation that came after Hurricane Agnes in 1972 — the flood that prompted the initial “levee or view” question.

Indeed, the Hands’ home, several blocks from the river, was considered so far from danger that they were not required to buy flood insurance when they bought the three-story, four-bedroom house six years ago. So they did not.

“I don’t feel bad about my stuff, but I do feel awful about my daughter,” said Mr. Hand, a professor of sports medicine. “Try explaining all this to a 5-year-old who has so many questions.”

Emma G. Fitzsimmons contributed reporting from New York.

A version of this article appears in print on September 12, 2011, on Page A12 of the New York edition with the headline: A Choice Made Decades Ago Comes Back to Haunt a Town. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe